Can you bring insulin to the United States?

• Injectable medication

  allowed, within limits

  As FDA-approved prescription drugs, GLP-1 medications (semaglutide/tirzepatide) and insulin follow the FDA's personal importation framework: the FDA "will allow foreign nationals to bring or ship a 90-day supply of drug products". For medication sent by mail or courier, the FDA suggests including documentation such as a copy of your visa/passport, a letter from your doctor, or a copy of the prescription in English.

  Compounded or non-FDA-approved semaglutide/tirzepatide products are treated differently: FDA's personal importation policy only extends discretionary allowance to unapproved drugs when there's a serious condition, no domestic availability, no unreasonable risk, and written affirmation of personal use. Genuine brand-name Ozempic/Wegovy/Mounjaro/Zepbound are FDA-approved, so this stricter unapproved-drug pathway shouldn't apply to them, but a compounded version should expect more scrutiny. Airport security screening of pens and needles is a separate matter, handled by the TSA, and is not covered here.

  Also covers: ozempic, wegovy, mounjaro, zepbound, semaglutide, tirzepatide, insulin, needles, syringes, injection pen, glp-1

  Download border card (PDF)

  Source U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- Personal Importation of DrugsChecked against the source on 2026-10-18

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Informational only — not legal advice. Customs rules change; confirm with the official source above before you travel. Not medical advice. Don't stop or change a medicine because of a travel rule without talking to your doctor. See update history